AS football fever grips the nation in the countdown to the World Cup, many children are more eager than ever to play ‘the beautiful game’.

However, a new poll has found that one in five children aged six-11 do not get any support from their parents to play sport outside school.

Half of boys and 15% of girls say they’d play more sport if their mums and dads were prepared to drive them to sports clubs.

Yet, conversely, the David Lloyd Leisure poll found that a third of parents believe their children should be playing more sport.

And with the World Cup approaching, there has never been a better time to get football-crazy kids involved in the national game.

Hundreds of football-based events have been organised for June 12, the day of England’s first World Cup match against the USA, as part of England Football Day.

The day, co-ordinated by the Football Association, aims to get more children and adults involved with playing and coaching football through 267 football ‘festivals’ held around the country.

Events ranging from mini-World Cup tournaments to coaching taster sessions are planned, and many of the festivals will round off the day by screening the England match.

England manager Fabio Capello says: “I’m sure it will be a positive experience for the whole country.”

Also launching on the day of England’s first World Cup match is an initiative to get children who are either playing too little football, or none at all, involved in the game.

The Football Football World Cup programme, for children aged from 5-12, kicks off on June 12 at 28 centres nationwide.

The seven week programme, which has been developed in partnership with the FA, involves fun warm-ups with a ball each, adapted games that bring out a specific skill, and plenty of free play.

The scheme was developed by Nigel Hargreaves, the former head of Strategic Planning at the FA.

Hargreaves says: “The philosophy of the programme is clear – every child should have the opportunity to play football regularly, irrespective of ability.

“The programme puts both fun and freedom to learn back at the heart of children’s football.”

The courses will encourage youngsters to try a different skill each week, including dribbling, passing, shooting, goalkeeping and defending, and play games such as the Ronaldo Dribbling Game, which encourages children to learn through play.

Meanwhile, if all this football’s proving a little tiring, parents might encourage their kids to read about the sport as well as play it.

The National Literacy Trust and children’s author Tom Palmer, with support from the FA, have developed a free World Cup Love Football: Love Reading pack to inspire young people’s reading.

The toolkit features ideas and activities that schools, libraries and learning centres at football clubs can use to promote reading through sport.

The initiative follows National Literacy Trust research which found that a third of boys can’t find books to read that interest them.

Ideas featured in the toolkit include a library football treasure hunt to make families aware of the different football reading material available, and advice about launching an activity where parents, especially mums, are encouraged to borrow or buy World Cup books for the men and boys in their household.

To find out more about the Love Football: Love Reading toolkit, visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/worldcup

To find a local England Football Day event, visit www.thefa.com/Englandfootballday.